


Oblivious

by DoubleL27



Series: Zhurrick Week [2]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-17
Updated: 2015-02-17
Packaged: 2018-03-13 11:07:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3379277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoubleL27/pseuds/DoubleL27
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Trying to get Varrick and Zhu Li to work out their issues is like trying to get two badgermoles to see the sunset.  Bolin is going to try though, even if it kills him.  With Varrick involved it just might.</p><p>In which Bolin and Varrick try and have the same conversation and fail spectacularly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Oblivious

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted as part of Zhurrick Week 2015.

Bolin was exhausted. Four years of friendship and he had no idea how two people could be so oblivious.

Trying to get these two crazy kids to realize they're crazy for each other was much harder than he thought. Surely, when Zhu Li defected, Varrick had seemingly acknowledged how much he needed Zhu Li. Well he had tried to Varrick himself with a spirit vine bomb because she had Zhu Li'd him. Similarly, when Bolin had found Zhu Li she made it clear her loyalty had always been with Varrick. She had stayed to see his wishes carried out, just like always.

He had envisioned the moment he had returned Zhu Li to Varrick. Zhu Li would be Zhu Li and say "Hi, sir."

Varrick's jaw would drop to the floor and he would whisper, "Zhu Li?" His voice getting all squeaky at the end. Then he would shout, "Zhu Li!" With Varrick like exuberance. Varrick would then rush over and Zhu Li would have jumped into his arms. There would be a spinning kiss, just like in the movers. Everyone would get their happy ending and it would all be due to abolin's genius.

It had nearly happened.

Not quite.

Zhu Li had apologized in a speech better than Bolin could have imagined. She had told Varrick that he meant the world to her. Who could deny it. Varrick hadn't run for her but reached out and touched her cheek.

Then the genius behind Varrick Industries had ruined it. He'd quickly tried to bustle Zhu Li off to her old duties and when she hadn't jumped at that prospect, Varrick had shrugged. Just shrugged.

"Varrick what is wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me?" Varrick scoffed and shook his head as if to shake that thought loose. He gave Bolin "What's wrong with Zhu Li, am I right?"

"Varrick, Zhu Li gave you an awesome apology. An awesomer apology than you probably deserved and we are not going after her?"

"Of course not, kid! You think Zhu Li wants me to chase her? You have met Zhu Li, haven't you? Running after her is not what she wants. Also, that woman is fiercer than a platypus bear and when she's this cranky...whoo, boy. No."

Bolin tried to follow all of the different things going on in that paragraph. He even moved his fingers as if to follow the words in the air beforew quirking an eyebrow at Varrick. "You don't want to chase her because she is mad at you?"

"Kid, nothing will come from chasing her now."

"But, but...she just wants you to acknowledge she's more than your assistant!"

Varrick leaned forward, waving a finger in Bolin's face. "That's not all she wants. Otherwise, why would she claim everything she said to Kuvira were lies to save me and then be mad when I took her at her word! That's ridiculous, Bolin! She wants a grand gesture!"

"A grand gesture?"

"C'mon, we've got to go get the thing." Varrick turned and leaned over the railing. "Keep up the hard work! Screw those screws in tight! Bolt the bolts!"

He spun on his heel again and strode out the doors. Bolin scrambled after him. The way Varrick's long legs nearly ate up the hall made Bolin have to work twice as hard to keep up. "Where are you going?"

Varrick pulled up so short that Bolin had to skid not to barrel right into him. The older man did the weird whole head eye-roll thing that he always seemed to do when frustrated. His blue eyes were blazing when they landed on Bolin. "We, kid, we are going to get the THING!"

Varrick threw his hands in the air while Bolin used the corner of his sleeve to remove the spit flecks from his face. "I can't believe that you don't get these things!"Varrick exclaimed

"I'm not Zhu Li," Bolin shouted at his friend. Why did he even try to reason with Varrick? Still, he was going to stick to the point, even if Varrick refused. "Who is just mad you undervalue her."

Varrick looked agape for a moment before throwing his hands as if he were the one dealing with the most unbearable child (rather than the other way around). "Of course I undervalue her!"

It was Bolin's turn to gape at Varrick. The man was a crazy genius but even Bolin sometimes wondered if the water tribesman had any clue what he was doing. Going by the way Varrick was now gesticulating wildly, he doubted Varrick had any idea at all. "Do you think you can just slap a value on a mind reading genius who brews spectacular tea and has a way with feet even if she hates them? No, Bolin, no. So you pretend she's not the most amazing thing ever and no one tries to poach your secret weapon. Why do you think I never let her out of my sight?"

Suddenly, Varrick seemed to deflate, all the energy seeping out of him. His fingers began stroking his mustache as a pensive look crossed his face. Bolin was suddenly very sorry he was not Zhu Li because she would know just what to say here or how to get Varrick moving again.

He whispered so low that Bolin could barely hear him, "I set it up so she knows I can't live without her."

The man before Bolin was many things but apparently not a master of understanding women. Not that Bolin knew much more, considering Korra, Eska, Ginger and his recent issues with Opal. Still, he felt he had a better handle on this situation than the head of Varrick industries. Placing his hand gingerly on Varrick's shoulder, he said, "Varrick, I don't think she knows."

His hand was thrust back by an explosion of Varrick's limbs. "Why wouldn't she know?!" Two hands took a vice grip on his shoulders. Bolin could only stare in shock as each of Varrick's words were punctuated by a shake. "She is a Mind. Reading. Genius."

Then his shoulders were released and Varrick neatened up his clothes like Bolin was his erant two year old. It was almost as if the outburst had never happened. All he got was a snap in the face as Varrick ordered, "Keep up." Varrick turned around and continued his trek down the hall. "She just wants a grand gesture. A symbol if you will."

"I swear, Varrick, I think she just wants an apology."

"The..." Varrick pinched the bridge of his nose and Bolin knew from experience that the particular pinch was one of frustration. Varrick had used it before, as did Mako and Lin and Su Yin, and everyone really. "Bolin, the apology is part of the grand gesture."

Bolin stopped and nodded. Well, the grand gesture was starting to sound better. "Oh. Good. That's good." Bolin realized Varrick had begun to walk without him and once again had to run to catch up. "So what are we going to get?"

"The thing!" Varrick insisted emphatically, "The thing for the grand gesture! Have you watched none of my movers?"

"I'm in half your movers." Bolin thought hard about the movers he had been in and the ones he had seen. There were many grand gestures involved. None of them were good. "Please tell me we are not tying Zhu Li to train tracks! Or wrecking her room with a Mechatank. Or...or...no drilling her to save her."

"I am getting a rock to carve her a ring!"

"To carve a ring. Does Zhu Li want a ring?"

"I don't know. I hope so!?" It sounded more like a question to Bolin than anything else.

"If you don't know, the why are we getting it?" He practically whined at Varrick.

Long limbs flew into the air again. "So I can ask her to marry me!" He quieted again as his thumb and forefinger smoothed down his mustache. Varrick muttered, "It's the only way."

"What?!"

"What!?"

"You can't..." Bolin found himself stumbling and gesturing and trying to make sense of the situation. "I mean, Varrick, do you love her? Zhu Li loves you but you can't just marry her so she stays with you. She deserves to be loved."

"I do love her! Why...why would I have wanted to kill myself over her betrayal, non-betrayal...fake betrayal," Varrick decided finally, "if I didn't? How do you not know I love her! Do you think Zhu Li doesn't know I love her?" He asked, suddenly pensive.

Bolin took a turn to roll his eyes. He know Varrick loved her, he just hadn't known that Varrick knew Varrick loved her. "I think you can be very subtle with that one, sir."

Varrick nodded seriously. "It has always been a problem, being subtle."

Varrick seemed discouraged and that was the last thing Bolin wanted. Varrick was going to tell Zhu Li he loved her and marry her and if he wasn't quite doing things in an orderly fashion, it was Varrick. "I did suspect though," Bolin said tentatively, and watched as Varrick's eyebrow lifted curiously, and then his head. Childlike hope was starting to cross Varrick's face. Bolin decided to continue. "Zhu Li might too. She just wants you to say it."

Cheer spread through Varrick's body and his arms erupted with it. "Hence the grand gesture." An arm came tightly around Bolin's shoulder, holding him tight to Varrick. He was dragged down the hall beside the older man. "C'mon kid, we are off to get a rock so I can carve a ring and apologize and make Zhu Li marry me."

It wasn't exactly how Bolin had envisioned the whole affair going, but maybe it would be better. There was only one problem Bolin could think of. "You know Kuvira is marching here with a spirit vine death ray in two weeks."

Varrick gave one of the happy chortles, the kind that we're not appropriate when you talked of war. It was the kind of laugh that made people think he was a lunatic. "Zhu Li is a war machine. I couldn't ask for a better backdrop. It completely sets the scene."

Bolin shrugged against Varrick's arm as they stepped into the sunlight out of Future Industries. He really hoped Varrick knew what he was doing. Zhu Li could be scary when angry and she was angry enough. Bolin wondered if he could be best man at the wedding. He'd ask Varrick later.


End file.
